Most people, at one time or another, have thought about writing a book. Most of those have thought about getting it published. Very few of those know how to go about it and even fewer are actually successful in being published. Unfortunately, the business of publishing has erected such barriers to entry that the ability to get published seems like an impossibility to most. The vast majority of the population is either confused or clueless about what to do after they’ve got their book idea. THE BOOK BIZ shines a light on what pre-published writers (and even published authors) need to know about the book industry, including writing that perfect book proposal, landing a publishing contract or literary agent, how to build your media platform, what to do when you've got books in the marketplace, and much more.

Some of the subjects we'll be covering on the show (scroll over to enlarge):

What does a literary agent do? What doesn’t a literary agent do? Do I need a literary agent? What does a literary attorney do? What’s the difference between a literary agent and a literary attorney? What does a ‘manager’ do?  Is it possible to get published without an agent? What does an editor at a publishing house do? What does a publisher at a publishing house do? Is it possible to quit my job and become a full-time writer? How does the book business work? Can I still get a book deal if ‘everyone’ has rejected my work? What are the advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing? Who is more important, the agent or the editor? What happens inside a publishing company to determine who gets a book deal and who doesn’t? Why does it take so long for a book to be published? What are the benefits of the new e-book technology to first-time writers? Specifically what can I do to get an agent? Specifically what can I do to get a publisher? Specifically what can I do to get my book into the marketplace? Should I ever negotiate my own publishing contract? What’s involved in negotiating one’s own contract? What are the pitfalls to negotiating my own publishing contract? How does self-publishing work, and is it worth the expense? What are the three ‘musts’ of pitching agents? What are the three ‘must nots’ of pitching agents? What’s the hierarchy inside a traditional publishing house? What is the role of the sales department at a publishing company? What is the role of the editorial department at a publishing company? What is an Editorial Board? What are foreign rights? What are subsidiary rights? What are an author’s responsibilities in the book contract? What are the pitfalls to negotiating my own contract? How can I get out of a book contract? How can I get my publishing rights back after I’ve signed a contract? What is my publisher (traditional or self) legally required to provide me? What can I expect after I’ve signed my contract? Who do I work with after I sign my contract? What are the publicity strategies for promoting my book? How do book stores operate? What’s the hierarchy in a bookstore? How do bookstores get their books? Who decides how many of my books the bookstore gets? How can I get on the table at my local bookstore? How do I organize signings and talks at my local bookstore? Why won’t the bookstore call me back? Can I set up a website to sell my own books? Do the bookstores mind if I compete with them in selling my books? Why aren’t my books sold in bookstores? What are the alternatives to selling my books in stores? What format is best for my book? Who decides on the type of paper, cover and binding my book will have? What are the paper, printing and binding options available to authors who want to publish on their own? Is it possible to start my own publishing company to publish my books and others? What are the benefits and drawbacks of starting my own publishing operation? How does Amazon operate? How does Amazon decide which books they will sell? Why does Amazon reduce their retail price so significantly? Who pays for the reduced margins at Amazon? How much does it cost to print a book? Should i just pack it in?